Aylesbury United 0-2 Walthamstow

Stow moved back up to fourth in the table thanks to a controlled performance against an in-form Aylesbury United side. A goalscoring return from Duncan Culley after four weeks out through injury, and a first goal for Stow Percy winter earned Stow the three points on Non-League day.

Stow looked to get on the front foot straight away and forced an early corner which Culley almost back-heeled in at the front post, but he could only find the side-netting. At the other end, Sonny French should have done better when left unmarked in the Stow box, but he headed high and wide.

And in truth, that was pretty much where Aylesbury’s attacking intent for the afternoon ended. Their build-up play at the back was solid, but they were guilty of constantly putting the ball into touch when they passed the half-way line.

This played into Stow’s hands, and driven on by an impressive Caoilan McGettigan on debut, created chance after chance in the first half. One of McGettigan’s many surging runs from left back provided an opportunity for Bilal Sayoud whose cross-goal effort was well saved by Jack Hopwood in the Aylesbury goal. But the home keeper could do nothing to stop Culley giving Stow the lead. Kieran Turner dispossessed Anthony Ball in the right-back position and fed the ball to Sayoud who crossed perfectly to pick out Culley. The Stow forward’s first effort was saved, but he lashed home the rebound to make it 1-0.

Just before the break, Sayoud then had a one-on-one effort brilliantly saved. The second half followed a similar pattern, but this time Stow were looking dangerous from set-pieces. Carl Mensah was left unmarked three times from corners, but he was unable to find the back of the net.

The home side’s task got even more difficult when Culley raced onto a chipped pass from Jarod Small, only to be taken down by the on-rushing Hopwood. Hopwood was given his marching orders, with left back Ball picking up the gloves.

While Stow always looked comfortable at 1-0, an insurance goal was always going to be vital, and it came in an unlikely way, when Winter – possibly the smallest player on the pitch – looped a header into the top corner from a Small cross.

Aylesbury did mount one attack in the dying moments, when Hamilton got through, but McGettigan came across and stopped the home forward from getting any further than the edge of the Stow penalty area.

With Didcot Town’s trip to Biggleswade being postponed, Stow are now just three points off second place.

Photo: Bill Badger